The present invention concerns golf teaching devices, and more particularly concerns a golf teaching device adapted to improve a golfer's stance and also provide accurate ball placement for different golf clubs, thus allowing the golfer to concentrate on the golfer's swing.
Golf is a deceptively complex game. Because of this, it is important for novice golfers to learn a proper golf stance including placement of the golf ball and a proper golf swing so that consistently successful golf shots can be made. Also, it is important for more experienced golfers to periodically "return to the basics" or otherwise refine their game. There are numerous golf training devices that attempt to improve a golfer's game by, among other things, improving a golfer's stance and the placement of a golf ball relative to the stance. These devices attempt to reduce the variables of alignment and ball placement, thus allowing the golfer to concentrate on his/her swing. However, many of these devices are cumbersome to set up and/or use, awkward to adjust, and/or difficult to carry. Further, many of these devices do not work, or distract the golfer such that it is difficult for the golfer to concentrate on his/her swing. For example, some devices in effect capture one or both of a golfer's feet such that the golfer cannot move in a natural manner without fear of stepping on the device. This causes the golfer to focus on avoiding the device, rather than on his/her swing. Other devices include vertically extending posts and the like that get in the way and make the device cumbersome to set up and use. Also, some of these devices are unsightly, and can be embarrassing for a golfer to use. Still other devices provide a complex adjustment mechanism that either takes a long time to adjust, is subject to error, or that requires a more complex adjustment procedure than most golfers are willing to make.
Another problem with known golf training devices is that they cannot be easily customized on site for a particular golfer's size or preferences, or for a golf professional's preferences. For example, young golfers are typically much shorter and have shorter golf clubs than adult golfers, and thus their stance and ball placement must change accordingly. However, known devices are only marked with indicia for an "average sized" golfer to avoid becoming cluttered with markings. The same cluttered appearance and complexity occurs if known devices are marked to incorporate different theories concerning ball positioning. Specifically, one theory often used by golfing professionals is to position a golf ball progressively rearwardly from the front of a golfer's stance as the golfer progresses from a driver (e.g. a one "wood" golf club) to a short iron (e.g. a nine iron or pitching wedge golf club). In a second theory, the golf ball is positioned in a single forward position for "wood" golf clubs and in a single second position for all "iron" golf clubs. Other theories concerning ball placement also exist. For example, the forwardmost position of the ball may vary from one theory to another. Known golf teaching devices are not adapted to allow on-site customization to accommodate each of these different theories and preferences.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,132 discloses an alignment apparatus for golfers wherein four links are interconnected to position a golfer from a golf ball and to provide feedback to the golfer regarding the position of his golf club during his swing. However, the device basically depends on the golfer to properly orient himself or herself to the target and to correctly position his or her feet relative to the ball, both of which are often part of a golfer's problem. Still further, the apparatus is not adapted to position a ball properly for different clubs, nor for golfers that are physically different in size. Neither can the apparatus be easily customized on-site.
Great Britain Foreign Patent GB 2,100,607 discloses a golf stance device that includes a front bar (1) for positioning a golfer's feet, and a ball locating pointer (4) for indicating proper ball position for different golf clubs. Notably, the device includes an arm (2), one end of which extends between the golfer's feet to a position where it can be stepped on. This may adversely affect the golfer's concentration, as discussed above. Also, the arms (5 and 6) are shown as being only a few inches long, and thus they are too short to give a proper ball position. For example, the ball pointing tip on arm (4) moves over-center and toward the golfer when pivoted from the three wood golf club position to the driver golf club position. No known theory concerning ball placement moves a ball position in that manner. Thus, the ball positions in FIG. 1 of Great Britain '607 must vary significantly from the end of arm (4), and a golfer using this apparatus is left to guess how far off the end of the arm (4) to place the ball. Notably, ann (2) cannot be relocated to solve this problem since it must be located adjacent the inside heel of the golfer's left foot. Also, it is noted that longer pivot arms (5 and 6) do not solve this problem since the pointed end of arm (4) continues to move in an arc that does not correlate well to proper ball placement. Still further, the markings on arm (1) are adapted for only an average size golfer, and are not adapted for use by each of several different sized golfers. Also, the markings are not adapted for easy on-site customization.
Great Britain Foreign Patent GB 2,254,008 discloses a golf training aid including four interconnected members and a fifth elongated member for indicating ball position. The device requires that the fifth member be repeated disconnected, repositioned and reconnected by pins to accurately locate the ball fore-to-aft relative to the golfer's stance for different clubs, and that the one interconnected member closest to the golfer's feet also be repeatedly disconnected, repositioned and reconnected by pins to accurately position the golfer from the ball. This double repositioning and also the existence of a separate fifth member add undesirable complexity to the golfing device. Further, a set of holes (16) must be formed in the front and rear members for each different size golfer, which holes (16) make on-site customization of the device difficult.
Thus, a golf teaching device is desired solving the aforementioned problems.